Progress
by Nocte Draconis
Summary: Age of Dreams no. 2 - "Luffy you moron!" "I just wanted to see why she can't talk!" "By sticking a spoon down her throat!"  This is what happens when Luffy plays Doctor. T for their foul mouths.


**IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END**

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><p>Nocte: OMG! MY VERY FIRST REVIEW! AND A FAVORITE! *happy dance*<p>

Crazy Dove: Told ya' it was a good idea *smug*

Nocte: *glares* You _blackmailed_ me into writing this!

Crazy Dove: *gasp* I did not! I merely _encouraged_ you to write *smug*

Nocte: .'

Crazy Dove: Well, at least the 'deflowering' was gentle *giggle*

Nocte: You perv! *throw's a notebook at her* /''

Crazy Dove: *dodges* Hey! You started it girl *snicker*

Nocte: … Just ignore her -.-u

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><p><strong>Thank you Dell and LuffyGirl! :D *hugs the living daylights out of you*<strong>

**Dell: Well, I haven't planned anything particular yet, so if you have any whishes - just out with it :D By the way, you went straight into my Notebook of Awesomeness because you are my First Reviewer EVER! :D **

**Luffy Girl: The same goes for you darlin' – an entry in The Notebook as well great thanks! :D**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: I own nothin'! Only the pestering plot chicks and OC's<strong>

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><p><strong>WANTED! - In search for a beta for my brain fartsstories :D**

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><p>The area was quiet, except for the humming sounds of the summer bugs that were active in the evening. Not a single cloud obscured the beautiful deep blue color of the sky that was littered with stars.<p>

It was amazing how Dawn Island could seem so peaceful and almost utopian at such moments.

Even so, there were those who knew the ugly truth behind its pretty face that it showed to the world. But tonight even those who knew how deceptive the seemingly fairytale Kingdom was, were able to enjoy the beauty of the summer night.

He watched from his sitting place at the window, the two youngsters sleeping peacefully. Luffy was sprawled all over the place like usual, snoring like a giant, while the girl that seemed somewhere around their age, was lying there, soundlessly. Only the steady heaving of her chest did prove to him that she was still alive.

Sayrena. Or rather Rena, as Luffy called her.

After it was apparent that the girl either couldn't or didn't know how to talk, Luffy decided that she still needs a name as she would stay in Foosha until further notice.

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><p>"<em>Luffy, you moron!", Ace exclaimed while punching him in the face. Hard.<em>

"_Dammit Ace! I was just trying to help her!" the said boy shouted while getting up, ready to pounce his older brother. _

"_By sticking a spoon down her throat?''_

_The object of their quarrel was currently on the ground beside them. The poor girl was trying to catch her breath after Ace finally managed to pull 'doctor Luffy' from her. Oh, and the half digested lunch decide to also say hello as she profusely vomited, not able to suppress the gag reflex any longer. _

_The sounds finally distracted them enough and they looked in disgust at the mess._

"_I should've let you continue. Maybe she would've puked all over you."_

"_I just wanted to see why she can't talk", Luffy managed to sound apologetic, feeling bad that he made her sick. _

"_With a spoon?" Ace asked incredulously._

"_The doctor uses spoons to check the throat to!"_

_Ace face palmed, not even bothering to answer, even less to explain that the spoons the doctor uses were of a different kind. And that sticking spoons down other's throats was dangerous._

"_Didn't the doctor say her vocal chords are fine, you nutcase?"_

"_Why doesn't she talk then if they're fine?" Luffy huffed._

_Ace shrugged. "Maybe she doesn't know how?"_

_Luffy seemed to ponder that. "But how are we going to call her if she can't tell us her name?"_

"_Dunno and don't care. She's _**your**_ pet. Just give her a name."_

_Luffy immediately loved the idea and started listing possible names._

"_And by the way, since she's your pet, _**you**_ clean up after her." Ace pointed towards her and the mess she made on the floor of their tree house. _

_Without further ado he left, not even bothering to answer Luffy's complaints._

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><p>Ok, he admitted that maybe, just maybe, calling her Luffy's pet wasn't nice.<p>

But he couldn't help it. She was following them soundlessly around, loyally and unfalteringly like a little lost puppy. This wasn't actually far from the truth with her big, dark eyes in which he sometimes could easily see himself in.

Until Luffy found the right name he was pestering everyone for days with possible ones. And Ace refused to have anything to do with it.

Just like he refused to think that the tiny whispering bug in his ear was jealousy.

He wasn't jealous.

Just because Luffy was spending more time with that ghost girl and dragging her everywhere didn't mean he was jealous.

No, he was only concerned for his baby brother's wellbeing.

Right?

Right.

Today Luffy finally – FINALLY – found the right name for her, and it seemed she liked it too. Actually, it was Makino who brought it up and saved the girl of a possible ridiculous name.

She remembered how Shanks and his men used to tell wild stories about sea creatures, gods from different lands and mythical islands. One of them had to do with nymphs of a special sea kind – sirens. And one of them – a great sorceress and Queen of the siren kin - went by the name Sayrena, which referred to her great powers as well calmness and peacefulness that was rather unusual for sea folk of any kind.

Luffy found it quite fitting – not only because he first thought she was a mermaid – but also because of her calm demeanor and striking blue hair that would sway in the wind like waves of the sea.

And Ace couldn't ignore her person anymore. From the first day she wormed herself into Luffy's easy heart and now that she got a name – an identification of her persona, an acknowledgment of her existence in this world – Ace could feel another wave of worry wash over him.

Because Luffy already acted like she'd been with them all their lives, when in reality it wasn't even a month. He even wanted they – all three of them – bath together.

But there was only one teeny-tiny little problem.

She was a girl. A female. The opposite gender from male.

And while Ace had no attraction towards the puny girl whatsoever, he didn't want those particularly unfazed - sometimes scary - eyes on his completely naked body.

He was fourteen for the love of Davy Jones!

Entering puberty, the need for privacy and personal space became greater. He outgrew the bathing-together-phase long ago. It was enough that he had to fight with Luffy, who didn't want to understand why Ace wouldn't bath so often together with him anymore. He didn't need another pipsqueak breathing down his neck.

And now, seeing her like that, sleeping peacefully beside Luffy – on _his_ sleeping spot – he couldn't help the feeling as if more than his privacy was breached as memories of three boys sleeping sprawled all over the place unwillingly came to the front of his mind.

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><p>With time it became nothing unusual that Sayrena slept at Luffy's and Ace's place more often than at Makino's.<p>

Ace found himself often just sitting there in the evening, watching Luffy and Rena sleep peacefully, even thought the harsh moonlight shone right into their eyes sometimes. Watching her like that, when she didn't return his gaze with those expressionless, lost eyes, Ace found he could identify certain twitches and the slightest change in her expression. Like how she would clench onto Luffy's shirt all day long when she was scared by something particular, or how she would scoot closer to him when she had a bad dream.

She couldn't – or wouldn't – speak, so no one could tell who she really was or where she came from. And she made no indications that she knew the answers to those questions. Ace couldn't help but ask himself if she even had any memories.

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><p>As Rena spent more and more time with them, Ace and Luffy learned how to interpret the few scarce expressions in certain ways. Like how she would scrunch her nose when she wasn't happy with something or how her brows knotted together in that particular way when she wasn't feeling well or was in pain. Or how she would lose focus and daze out just before falling asleep on the spot.<p>

Luffy found that particular habit hilarious as it was something she had in common with Ace and him.

Which didn't sit well with Ace and earned Luffy quite a punch to the head. His narcolepsy was quite a bother sometimes, and not in the least bit funny when he fell asleep on the edge of a cliff or in the middle of Midway Forest.

Now that Ace acknowledged Rena's existence as a person, not referring to her as a pet so often anymore, Luffy came up with this great idea – teach her how to speak.

He would sit for hours across her, various objects spread in front of them with him pointing at each and naming it, trying to make her repeat the word.

Without any luck so far. Though, she managed to produce strange sounds, sounding almost like an infant when she wanted something. It was a great step from when she wouldn't utter a sound, not even a scream or yelp when she hurt herself or was scared by something.

For Luffy it was enough and he beamed with happiness every time she would make a sound and point at something. It was obvious that she wanted to make herself understood and though sometimes it was quite confusing, she was slowly but surely making progress.

Not to mention that Luffy was smug as hell at his accomplishment and would gladly remind Ace of it.

Like every minute or so.

Which drove him up the wall.

And Ace gladly expressed his annoyance with his fists.

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><p>It has been a while since Luffy found something that captivated his full being and attention like this.<p>

And though Ace was still worried sometimes, even a bit jealous (he had to admit it to himself at some point, which was _pathetic_) he let Luffy be because he didn't see any harm in helping Rena learn how to truly _live_. Still, that didn't mean he would let the girl get any closer than was completely necessary and he pointedly ignored those strange looks Luffy would sometimes give him when he was too harsh towards her.

It annoyed him to no end that Luffy would often jump to her '_rescue_' and protect her from the '_bad_ big _meanie'_ that was his '_bad_ big brother'.

But secretly he was happy. Because, Luffy was truly, utterly and devotedly happy.

Which has been a while, too.

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><p><strong>I find it quite relaxing writing in the OP world, especially since I never wrote something lighthearted as this. I guess it's because I never allowed myself to take a break from the heavy Yu-Gi-Oh stuff on which I work for, like, AGES. So, unlike usual – writing everything down before posting – I'll just post one-shot or short chapter stories instead, so the readers don't have to face that problem of a continuous story that isn't updated regularly. Instead I'll just leave a sense of a series with one shots, which I hope you don't mind ;)<strong>

**As I noted already before, with this series I want to try and depict what Luffy and Ace went through in those time gaps that aren't visible in the manga or anime. So if you want to see a particular scene or came up with a certain adventure that you would like to see written – just tell me. I will gladly write it down as this series has no real direction, rather I'm letting myself go with the flow and where the plot chicks lead me to ;) **

**In other words I'm letting **_**you**_** guys decide what would happen next :D**

**See ya later, folks! **

**N.D.**


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